BANGKOK: (Bernama-Sputnik/RIA Novosti) The USS Abraham Lincoln and two other ships from its carrier strike group will visit Thailand next week to allow their crews and attached Marine units to rest after a 200-day deployment to West Asia, Rear Admiral Parat Rattanachaiphan said.
"The USS Abraham Lincoln, along with its crew and attached Marine units, totalling 5,000 personnel, and two other ships from the United States (US) carrier strike group, will visit Thailand next week to allow the crew and Marine units to rest after a 200-day deployment to West Asia," Rattanachaiphan told reporters.
The Royal Thai navy spokesman added that the visit, a military cooperation event between the Thai armed forces, a major non-NATO ally of Washington, and the US armed forces, does not involve any military training or tactical component.
"This visit is not an exercise or joint military operation between the US and the Royal Thai navy, and it is not related to any specific country or situation. The entire visit will strictly adhere to Thailand’s laws, regulations and security measures. The US ships will anchor off Thailand's east coast for rest and replenishment only,” Rattanachaiphan said.
The admiral did not specify where on the east coast the American ships would anchor, but the resort town of Pattaya has historically been a common rest stop for US carrier strike group crews.
The strike group, led by the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, supported combat operations against Iran and US efforts to open the Strait of Hormuz. The Lincoln completed a 200-day non-porting deployment, a record for US carrier deployments in recent decades, which have typically been limited to six months. - Bernama-Sputnik/RIA Novosti
